Thursday Potpourri

Tuesday night’s meeting of the Toms River Board of Education featured the swearing-in of new members Jack Reuther and Gus Kakavas as well as the honoring of many students in the district for outstanding achievements in many different capacities. I had the pleasure of representing WOBM and Millennium Radio Group and presenting a $7500 donation to Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco and the school board from the 25th annual WOBM Christmas Classic. We are partners with the school district in the Boys & Girls basketball tournament which is held at the Ritacco Center over a 7-day period in late December. Millennium Radio President/CEO Bill Saurer was out of town and could not attend the meeting and join in the presentation but
said he looks forward to working with Superintendent Ritacco and the school district for years to come.

If rumors were correct than tonight’s Board of Education meeting in Brick was to be a wild affair but that may no longer be the case. The Board was expected to take action on the hiring of a new football coach at Brick Township High School but that was been put on hold because the school budget was voted down last week and no hirings will take place until a budget is in place. I had reported a couple of weeks ago that the next coach would be Patrick Dowling, who is currently at Allentown and before that coached at Monroe. Since that time I have received numerous calls from parents and others who said they would attend the meeting tonight to express their displeasure over the board not selecting someone with ties to former coach Warren Wolf and the Brick program. The agenda for tonight’s meeting at Lake Riviera Middle School makes no mention of a hiring but I would imagine there will be those from the public who will want to speak on the issue of the next coach for the Green Dragons.

The band Hometown Roll joined forces with Bum Rogers Tavern in South Seaside Park on a very successful fundraiser last Saturday for Oceans of Love and when all was said and done $2700 was raised for the organization which supports children with cancer and their families in Ocean County.